Melted On Ice
by ame-chii
Summary: AU. She is as cold as ice. But she loves to skate, and to dance on ice. Her dream is to join a figure skating competition. But who knows that she has to deal with the orange-headed guy? And can he make the "Ice" melted?
1. Chapter 1 – New Place, New People

A/N: First of all, I would like to say hello to you all! :D

I'm new here.. ehehe and I hope you'll like this story.

ann I like to say thanks a lot to my friends who made a lot of corrections in this story, because my English isn't good ahahaha...

anyway, this is it, Melted On Ice, chapter one! enjoy!

Disclaimer : I don't own bleach. Bleach is Tite Kubo's

* * *

Chapter I – New Place, New People

* * *

"Move to Karakura?" Rukia asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, your Dad's job demands for it," her mother answered while she sipped her tea.

"But when…?"

"About three weeks from now. So, you should pack all of your belongings from now on,"

"But Mom—"

"Rukia, we don't have much time. Or do you want to stay here alone?" she asked.

"Well… I'd be glad if I can do that…" the violet eyed girl answered with a shrug and grinned.

"Rukia…" her mom gave her a glare. It was enough to make her give up.

"Okay Mom, okay…" she said and then ran to her room.

"Oh, and Rukia?" she looked at her mom from her shoulder when she heard her mom's voice.

"Yeah?"

"You'll have ice skating lessons once we finally moved there."

"What?"

"You heard me, ice skating course, dear… I figured you would love that, so I think it'll be great if you join a course. Who knows if you can be a pro in the future?" she said with a smile on her lips.

"Thank you, Mom! Thanks a lot!" with that, she gave her mom a bear hug and sprint back to her room.

"Sure, dear…"

* * *

Three weeks later…

"Oh wait! I forgot one thing!" she ran as fast as she could to her room.

"She's so energetic."

"Just like you, Hisana," Byakuya, Rukia's father said. And Hisana chuckled.

"Yeah, but she has your stubbornness," a teasing smile which appeared on her face made Byakuya turn away.

"What was the name of the city, again?" Rukia asked when she came back.

"Karakura. Let's go," Byakuya said as he took the driver's seat.

The trip to Karakura was long and filled with silence. It was not uncommon. The only sound on the car was only when Rukia asked something to her parents or when Hisana talked to her husband. Rukia listened to her iPod with full-volume to fill the silence. Hisana had to poke her if she wanted to ask her something. All in all, it was a long and tiring trip, from Nagoya to Karakura.

* * *

"Hello all, I'm Kuchiki Rukia, and I come from Nagoya. Nice to meet you all," Rukia said and then bowed to the rest of the class. Self introduction, a very ordinary thing for a new student.

"You can take that seat, Kuchiki-san," the teacher said while pointing to a seat next to the window, on the last row.

"So, from Nagoya?" a red-headed guy who sat next to her asked.

"Yeah, you heard me earlier," she answered while she took her seat.

"Abarai Renji," he said, reaching out his hand.

"Kuchiki Rukia," she said, shaking his hand.

"Okay class, today we will discuss about…" and so the boring hours began. Rukia was daydreaming until the girl with dark-brown hair who sat in front of her turned around and said,

"Hey, I'm Hinamori Momo, nice to meet you," with a grin on her face.

"Nice to meet you too, Hinamori-san."

"Oh please, call me Momo."

"Then you should call me Rukia."

"Deal—"

"Ahem, Hinamori-san, Kuchiki-san, what are you talking about?" oops, the teacher caught them.

"N-nothing, Sensei…" Hinamori answered, turned back around to the front of the class.

"Okay, can you tell us what was I talking about earlier?" the teacher asked. Hinamori gulped. _Oh dear,_ she thought.

* * *

"Yamada-sensei, one of strictest teachers," Hinamori sighed.

"Yeah, I can see that. Lucky you, she didn't give any punishment," Rukia gave her new friend a smile.

"Yeah, thanks."

It was lunch break. The class was almost empty because most of the students usually go to cafeteria, but Rukia brought her lunch that day, and luckily, Hinamori did the same. So they stayed at class, eating their meal together.

"So, why did you move to Karakura?" the dark-brown haired girl asked.

"My Dad's job. I love Nagoya though…" the raven-haired girl answered.

"Nagoya… my grandmother lives there!"

"Really? We should go to Nagoya together someday then…"

"Yeah, sure!" Hinamori grinned, as always.

"Hey, can I join?" it was Renji.

"Oh sure," Renji took his chair, and placed it next to Rukia and Hinamori, on Rukia's desk. "I thought you are going to buy something in the canteen, Abarai-san…" she continued, when she saw Renji also brought his lunch.

"Nope, my Mom loves to make me food every day," he shrugged. "And please call me Renji. 'Abarai-san' makes me feel old."

"Then call me Rukia," she said with a smile and they continued to talk.

* * *

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes, the ice skating course will start tomorrow. So prepare yourself. I know you can't wait for it," Hisana said with a smile. It was true, Rukia couldn't wait for her ice skating lessons to begin. She loved ice skating so much, since she was still about five.

"I thought it starts today?" she asked with a grin. And Hisana chuckled.

"No, Dear… sadly. Anyway, how's your first day at school?" she answered while unpacking some boxes.

"Mom, I'm not a little girl who just entered kindergarten or elementary school…"

"Yeah… so how's your first day in your _new_ school?"

"Fine… I made a couple of friends," she answered, opening an old magazine on the coffee table.

"Really? Who are they?"

"Hinamori Momo and Abarai Renji."

"So, the other one is a guy?" Hisana said with a teasing smile and poked her. Rukia rolled her eyes and answered,

"Mom, we've only known each other for a day," which made Hisana laugh.

"Sure, sure. So, anything interesting?"

"Hmm… no, I guess?"

"Do you want to just seat there or help me with this box?" Rukia gave her mom an innocent grin.

"Okay, Mom…"

* * *

"Sorry, I can't... I have an ice skating course later…"

"Ice skating course? It's the first time I ever heard that…" Hinamori said, tapped her chin with her fingers and stared out the window.

"I've heard about it before. But I never thought someone I know will take that course," Renji added.

"Well, my Mom enrolled me," she shrugged. "I'm happy with it, though… I used to skate a lot in Nagoya, because I lived near a rink…"

"Ooh, I see… so you can't go with me to the café?"

"Sorry…" Rukia said, a sad smile plastered on her face.

"No problem! It's not a big deal anyway… enjoy your course!" Hinamori said and then she left, leaving Rukia with Renji.

"I should go. Coach will be mad at me if I'm late. Bye!" he waved and ran out the class.

"Yeah, see ya!" Rukia shouted. _Go home, take fetch skating shoes, and then I can do what I love again!_ She thought with a smile on her lips.

"Excuse me, I'm a new student in here…" she asked a blond haired man with a green-white hat.

"Then you must be Kuchiki Rukia! Take a seat," he said. "Your coach will be in here a few minutes. But you can go to the ice rink right now if you want. The course area is on the left side of rink, while the public area is on the right. The locker room and changing room are right there," he said, pointing to his left side. "Take your time, Kuchiki-san. I'll tell your coach that you're here and he'll meet you in the ice rink."

"Okay, I guess I'll go straight to the ice rink once when I'm done changing. Thank you, Urahara-san," she said, reading his name tag. _So, he's the owner…_ she thought.

She walked to the locker room, changed her clothes and wore her ice skating shoes. Her ice skating shoes was white, and the bag was royal blue. She wore a black long-sleeved shirt, stockings and a white skirt.

_Seireitei Rink,_ _huh? What a weird name…_ she thought. But whatever the name is, it didn't matter, as long as she can do what she wants. So, she took her step to the rink and let her body enjoy gliding through the ice. She saw a few students in the course side, about five or six maybe they will be her friends. She let her body dance in the middle of the public side rink—the empty place. Dancing on the ice always made her forget the time, because she enjoyed it so much. But as soon as the dance ended, someone tapped her right shoulder from the back.

"Are you Kuchiki Rukia?" the person asked.

* * *

A/N: I got this idea when I went to ice rink with my friends. well, I'm not good with that, actually ahahha

anyway, me and one of my friends saw a coach with his student and suddenly this idea came. and she told me about Ice Princess and Go Figure. you know that movie, right? so that's why I got his idea of the story.

I'll be very happy if you review and give me comment about this story, whether it's good or bad, thanks! :)


	2. Chapter 2 – Just Like Ice

A/N: I want to say thanks a lot to my friends who help me with grammar, again :P

and thank you to you, readers! this is chapter 2, enjoy!

Disclaimer : I don't own bleach. Bleach is Tite Kubo's

* * *

Chapter II – Just Like Ice

* * *

"Are you Kuchiki Rukia?" the person asked.

"Yes, that's me. Are you… my coach?" she asked back. He was dark-haired and wore glasses.

"Oh no, I'm not. Your coach is there," he pointed to her back. And there he was—her coach, with orange hair, stood on the rink entrance, crossing his arms on his chest. "And he asked me to call you," he continued. _Orange hair?_ She thought.

"Oh, thanks!" she replied and approached her coach.

"So, you're my coach?" she asked.

"Yeah, Kuchiki Rukia?" he asked back.

"Yes. And you?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo. I thought I'll be teaching a high school student?" Ahem, not a very good first impression, actually. Well, that was enough to made Rukia fist her right hand and gritted her teeth.

"I AM a high school student, 16 years old if you would like to know."

"Sorry, sorry, just kiddin'. Anyway, I saw your performance earlier. It made me think why do you have to take this lesson?"

"I love ice skating. And I want to learn more about figure skating."

"But you skated well."

"Yeah, but I still can't jump, for example, which made me excited about this lesson."

"Oh, okay. So, shall we start?"

"I was waiting for you to say that since you asked me so many questions, Sensei."

"It's not a lot, don't exaggerate. And please don't call me 'sensei' 'cause it made me feel old. Call me senpai. Ichigo would be okay too."

"Okay…"

And there she was. The first day of her ice skating lesson. She quite enjoyed it actually, except when he called her—

"Oi, Midget—"

"Could you please stop calling me 'midget'? I have a name, for your information. And 'midget' is not my name," she cut his sentence.

"Okay, sorry about that. Kuchiki-san—"

"At least call me 'Rukia' because I call you 'Ichigo'. And you said you're 20, didn't you? Only 4 years older than me."

"Dammit! Would you please shut up and listen to whatever I was going to say?" he shouted.

"Ah, sorry. So, what do you want to say earlier?" she said with an innocent grin.

"What I wanted to say is…" Rukia only watched him with her violet eyes. "Ah dammit! I forgot!" he groaned and ruffled his hair. She smirked and mumbled,

"Idiot."

"Hey! I heard that, you Midget!"

"Stop calling me 'midget'!"

"If you stop calling me idiot! I entered university which means I'm not an idiot!"

"Sure, sure, Strawberry," she smirked.

"My name doesn't mean 'strawberry', midget! It means 'one who protects'!"

"Yeah, whatever. Now teach me something new, will you?"

"Until you stop calling me 'idiot' or 'strawberry'."

"Okay, will you please teach me something new in figure skating, Ichigo?" she said with her innocent eyes and grin. _Oh those eyes… wait, why am I thinking of her eyes?_ He thought.

* * *

"You said you're attending university?" she asked while changing her skating shoes to her flat shoes.

"Yeah, Why?"

"Why do you work here as a coach?"

"Urahara said I can work if I want. Besides I get some spare money."

"Ooh... well, thanks for today," she stood up and walked away. "Strawberry," she continued with a low voice and a smirk on her lips.

"Okay, Midget! See you on Saturday morning!" he shouted.

"So, how's she?" Ishida Uryuu—the person who tapped Rukia's shoulder earlier asked.

"Just a little annoying midget," he said, walking away.

"Be careful with your words, Kurosaki," he mumbled.

* * *

"How's the skating lessons?" Hisana asked, whole eating her rice.

"The coach was a _little bit_ annoying, but I enjoyed it anyway," she replied before eating her tempura.

"A little bit?"

"He called me 'midget', Mom!" Hisana chuckled and Rukia continued, "I'm not a midget, I'm just a petite."

"Right, tell him that."

"I will. Where's Dad, anyway?"

"He'll be home soon."

"I see… Mom, can I go there again tomorrow?"

"Where?"

"Seireitei Rink, I mean."

"To meet him?" Hisana said with a teasing smile.

"Mom…"

"But he's only 4 years older than you… it's not a big deal, dear…" her mom continued as if she didn't hear Rukia's reply.

"Mom… please, he's_ only_ my coach."

"Yeah sure, you can go tomorrow."

"Yay! Thanks Mom!"

"It's fun, you know?"

"What is fun?" Rukia asked, frowned.

"Teasing you. Especially about boys," Rukia only rolled her eyes which made Hisana laugh.

* * *

"I'll go to Seireitei Rink this afternoon. Wanna join?" the violet-eyed girl asked her two new friends.

"Well… I love to play ice skating, but I'm not in the mood to skate. I'll join you anyway, just watching…" Hinamori grinned.

"Okay… you, Renji?"

"I can't, I have to prepare for the karate competition next week. Sorry."

"No problem, I was just asking you guys," she said and continued eating her lunch. _It's strange. Only three days and I already feel comfortable around them…_ she thought.

"Next week? Good luck, Renji!" Hinamori shouted, which made some students in the class turned their head to them.

"Quiet down a little, will ya?" he glared at her.

"Oops, sorry…" the dark-brown haired girl covered her mouth with her hands. "Anyway, how long will you be skating, Rukia?" she asked.

"Hmm… about one or two hours maybe, why?"

"Can we go to the café after that?" she asked, her eyes filled with hope.

"Yeah, sure," Rukia smiled.

"Because I need a cake after studying physics today, ugh…"

"If you keep doing that, you'll get fat," Renji commented.

"Yeah, whatever. I don't care anyway."

Soon the bell rang and the teacher came in. _Finally, physics…_ Rukia thought and sighed to herself.

* * *

"Oi! Midget!" she stopped. _That voice…_

"What?" turned around, she found him—her coach was standing not too far from her.

"You don't have any lessons today, do you?"

"Yeah, so? I still can come here, right?"

"Yeah, well…"

"Don't you have students to teach?"

"Yeah, about—" he looked to his watch. "An hour from now."

"Ooh, I see…"

"So what are you doing here?"

"Uh… ice skating…?" she asked back.

"I can see that, midget! What I'm asking you is: why are you here _today_?"

"Don't you know that I love ice skating so much?"

"Umm… no?"

"Fine, keep that on your mind so you don't have to ask me if someday I'm here all day."

Silence.

"You're cold as ice, you know?"

"Really? Why thank you, I love that. I love snow and ice anyway," then she turned away—going to her friend's seat.

"Who was that?" _Oh I know she will ask,_ Rukia thought.

"My coach. Why?"

"I see… how old is he?"

"Twenty."

"Bingo!"

"Huh?" Rukia confused.

"Nope I was guessing his age earlier. Ahahaha…"

"Ooh… hey, I just have to change these clothes and return these shoes to the counter, then we can go to the café, okay?"

"Yay! Oh and Rukia, you are a good skater, I'd love to watch you skating again," she smiled.

"Thanks," Rukia replied with a smile.

* * *

A/N: So that was chapter 2!

how was it? *grinning*


	3. Chapter 3 – Another Student

A/N : So, this is chapter III :D

again, I would like to say thank you very much for my friends who help me with grammar and things..

and also, thank you for you, reader and who gave me reviews!

glad to know that you like my story~ and I love skating! even I'm not good enough ahahha :P

and for Lia, since I can't reply you in here, I'll send you text ;)

thank you xKurosakiRukiax , ChAoS-iN-oRdEr , and Lia! :D

so here's Melted On Ice chapter III, read and review!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer : I don't own bleach. Bleach is Tite Kubo's

* * *

Chapter III – Another Student

* * *

"Is Ichigo already here?" Rukia asked.

"Yes, he is. But he's with another student now. You can wait or play on the rink," Urahara answered.

"Thanks, Urahara-san!" she said and walked to locker room.

It was Saturday and Rukia had her ice skating lessons at 10.00 A.M., but she was already there at 09.30 A.M., which means she has 30 minutes of free time. So she wore her purple jacket and black long training pants. She tied her hair and finally wore her skating shoes.

_So, that's the other student_,she thought to herself when she saw Ichigo with a long-haired girl. She moved to the public side and decided not to dance that day.

"Hey, Midget! Your tu—OUCH! What was that for?" he asked, rubbing his left arm. Yeah, Rukia punched it.

"For calling me 'midget' you Strawberry! I AM NOT a midget! I'm just petite you know?"

"Oh really? I've never seen a person on your age and as _short_ as you are—OUCH!" she punched him again.

"STOP calling me a 'midget' you Idiot!" she shouted and glared at him.

"Midget!" he glared at her.

"Idiot Strawberry!"

"Annoying little Midget!"

"Carrot top!"

"Stupid little Midget!"

"Hey hey, are you trying to scare away my costumers?" a new voice made they turned their head to that voice.

"No, but this little midget is totally annoying," Ichigo said, pointing at Rukia.

"What? You started it!"

"You made me want to start it."

"What? H-how?" she was confused.

"For being a midget," he smirked.

"Hey hey, enough. Kurosaki-kun she's your student after all. So just start the lesson, will you?" Urahara glared at Rukia and Ichigo.

"Yeah, sure," the orange-headed shrugged.

"So what will we learn today?" she asked, approaching him.

"Hmm… you should prove me that you're not a midget first," he smirked again.

"Don't make me hit you again, Kurosaki."

"Sure, sure. So, today we will be learning—"

"Who was she?" she cut his sentence.

"Huh?"

"The girl with long orange hair," she said, not looking at him.

"Oh, Inoue Orihime. One of my students. She's about your age," they talked while skating around the course side.

"Oh," was all she said.

"Anyway, we are gonna learn about…" and the lesson began.

* * *

"So where do you come from?" Ichigo asked as he removed his skating shoes.

"Nagoya, you?" she asked back, sitting beside him.

"I was born in here. And never moved anywhere," he shrugged.

"I see… so you used to play here before you became a coach?"

"Yeah, a lot. Since I was… five if I'm not mistaken. My sisters love to play too."

"Sisters? So you have siblings."

"Yeah, younger sisters. They're twins, fraternal though…"

"I see…" she nodded.

"How about you? Do you have any siblings?" he asked, leaning back.

"Nope, I just live with my parents," she shook her head. "Tell me about your sisters," she said, looking up at him with a sparkle on her eyes and a smile on her lips.

"Well… the first one is Karin, she has a black hair. She loves to play hockey and soccer more than figure skating. She's a tomboy. The other one is Yuzu, a complete opposite of Karin. Yuzu has a light-brown hair and she loves figure skating. Ah, and you should try her cooking someday," he said with a smile on his lips.

"I wonder how it felt to have siblings…" she said, not looking at him and placing her hands on her chin

"Well, I wonder how it felt to have no siblings," he replied.

"You know, I never expect that we can have a nice conversation like this."

"Yeah, as long as you don't call me idiot or strawberry, midget," he smirked.

"Oh don't start it again, carrot top. I'm not in the mood for that."

"Oh really?" he teased her.

"Yeah," that was when she figured what time it was. "I should go home. My mom is waiting for me," _half past one? I hope Mom already ate lunch,_ she thought to herself.

"Okay, bye Midget,"

"Yeah, bye Strawberry," and she walked away.

* * *

"How's your _coach, _Rukia?" Hisana asked with a teasing tone.

"He's fine. Why?"

"I haven't heard you complaining about him again," she ate her grilled fish.

"Hmm? Must I?" she asked, eating her rice.

"No, I just think there's something _pink_ in here," she chuckled.

"Mom, he's just my coach and I am not looking for a boyfriend anytime soon…" she sighed.

"Boyfriend?" Byakuya finally spoke.

"Nothing, Dad. Mom always teases me about that _boyfriend thing_," she rolled her eyes. Byakuya looked at Hisana.

"What? It was fun, you know? You must try it, Hon," she gave him a smile.

* * *

"Hello, Kuchiki-san!" Urahara's voice greeted her.

"Hey, Urahara-san," she replied.

"Coming to skate? And oh! You come with your friend!"

"Yeah, this is Hinamori Momo. We come to skate."

"Enjoy your skating!" he said after the two girls paid the tickets to skate.

"Thanks!" Rukia shouted.

Hinamori was wearing a thick gray sweater and jeans. Her hair was in a simple bun as usual, while Rukia was wearing a white T-shirt with dark blue jacket and jeans. She let her hair down that day.

"Rukia, who's that?" Hinamori asked, pointing at the orange-haired girl who was skating on the public side. Rukia answered it with a sigh as they entered the rink.

"Inoue Orihime. One of Ichigo's student."

"Ooh…"

They played for a few minutes until Rukia heard a familiar voice, so she looked up to the direction of the voice.

"So he teaches hockey class too…" she mumbled.

"What? Who?" Hinamori asked.

"Ichigo, my coach. I've just figured that he teaches hockey class too."

"Ooh… why don't you call him?"

"Do you want to hear me yelling at him again?" she said with a smirk.

"Um… no?"

"Then I won't. Besides I want today to be a peaceful day…" she stretched her arms and let out a long sigh, closing her eyes.

"Oi Midget!" that made she opened her eyes again.

"What?" she yelled at him. "I don't want to have a yelling competition with you today, you know?" she continued.

"I'm just callin' you, to make sure it was you,"

"No need because there's only one person in the world like I am; me," she said with a smirk.

"Yeah whatever," and then h e walked away.

"You two are cute, you know?" Hinamori commented.

"What?" the violet-eyed girl asked as if she didn't heard what her friend said earlier.

"Nope, it's nothing," she grinned.

* * *

"Hey Rukia,"

"Yeah?" she answered as she took a seat beside Hinamori.

"Don't you think that they're _a little bit _too close?"

"Huh? Who?" Hinamori pointed and she knew what her friend meant. "Well, I don't care about how close they are. I think they look good together. Orange and orange. The annoying one and the hyper one," she explained.

"How did you know that she's the hyper type?" Hinamori asked, curious.

"Well… I've taken this lesson for one month already. And I saw her every Saturday. I haven't talked to her though, but the way she talked to the others showed that she's the hyper type."

"Ooh, I see…" the dark-brown haired girl said, putting the conversation to an end as they watched Ichigo talking to Orihime from outside the rink.

It's true that Rukia have been in those lessons for one month, and she saw Orihime every Saturday. Last week was the day when she realized that Ichigo always called Orihime by her last name and that made her curious.

"_Why do you call that girl by her last name?" Rukia asked when Ichigo stopped in front of her._

"_Who?"_

"_Inoue Orihime."_

"_I just like to call her Inoue. Is that a problem?"_

"_Nope, but it makes me think, why do you call me Rukia then?"_

"_I just feel like it. Or are you hoping for more than that?" he said with a smirk._

"_Haha, you wish."_

"Stupid strawberry," she mumbled at the memories of last week.

"What, Rukia?"

"Oh no, it's nothing," she said. A little smile appeared on her lips as she looked at Ichigo. _Wait, why am I smiling?_ She asked to herself.

* * *

A/N : so, what do you think _why_ did Rukia smile when she looked at Ichigo? *pointing at the last line on this chapter*

tell me what do you think! :D


	4. Chapter 4 – The Ice Swan

A/N : well, one of my friends beg me to publish chapter 3 and 4 in one day..

so, here it is, chapter 4! hope you'll like this chapter :D

ah, and I think Ichigo and Rukia will a bit OOC in here.. but hey, this is AU *shrugged*

Disclaimer : I don't own bleach. Bleach is Tite Kubo's

* * *

Chapter IV – The Ice Swan

* * *

Her little hand was busy writing everything on the blackboard to her notebook.

"So, if you do this, you'll get the answer. Like this…" Ukitake-sensei continued to write something on the board. Ahem, it wasn't something. It was about trigonometry.

"See? It's easy, right?" he asked, then turned around to face the students.

"Hai, Sensei…" the rest of the class answered.

Riiiing!

_Finally!_ Rukia shouted on her mind.

"Well, that's all for today. I'll give you homework, okay? See page 168 number one until three. I'll collect it tomorrow."

"Hai, Sensei…" and then Ukitake-sensei walked out of the class.

"Ugh… I hate Trigonometry…" Rukia mumbled.

"Same here," Renji said with a groan. He laid his head on the table.

"Want something sweet, guys?" Hinamori asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"Sure!" Rukia shouted and grinned.

"Nope, thanks. I don't like sweets that much," he said, watching his two friends eating the cake. A small smile appeared on his lips. "You too will get fat, you know?" he smirked.

"We don't care," they replied.

"Yeah, whatever. I'll go to the canteen for a while," he stood up and walked. The two girls continued to eat their cake.

* * *

It had been almost two months since her first day of the skating lesson. Everything went well, and she could jump now. Ichigo taught her new things, such as triple jump and spins, even though she still couldn't do it very well.

"Good, now on to the next move, the triple jump!" he shouted to the girl who was skating, Rukia. She took a few fast steps, and there it was… the triple jump.

BRAK!

"Ouch…" she grimaced. Yes, that was true. The landing part was the most difficult part for her. And she landed on a _really_ awkward position.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, approaching her. He reached out his hand, offering her to help her stand up.

"Yeah. I'm strong, remember?" she smirked but took his hand.

"Sure, Midget. I'll take that as a sign to have some rest," he said as they walked out of the rink. "Hey, are you sure you're okay?" he asked when he realized that she was walking with a limp.

"Yes… I guess?" she gave him a half smile. He sighed and said,

"Here, let me help you—"

"No. I can walk by myself."

"But—" he stopped mid sentence when she gave him a death glare. "Huff… okay, do whatever you want, stubborn little Midget," he continued, ruffling his orange hair.

As soon as they reached the rest area, she sat down at the lounge. She let out a long sigh and grimaced.

"You shouldn't push yourself too hard. If your legs hurt then just tell me," he said as he took off her skating shoes. "Now, where does it hurt?" he continued.

"M-my right ankle, I guess…"

"It's okay, just relax," he sighed and massaged her right ankle. She stared at him. "Is there anything wrong with me?" he asked, when he realized that she was staring at him.

"Nothing, I just… I never thought that you could massage," he laughed and answered,

"I'm a coach, remember? I've been trained for this. So if anything happened to my student, at least I can give them first aid." She nodded. "Feeling better?"

"Kinda…"

"Good. So this is the end of today's lesson." He said, still massaging her right ankle. _Such soft skin… wait, what did I just crossed my mind?_ He thought.

"But—"

"Rukia, I know how much you want to skate, but I can't let you skate in this condition. You fell three times today and that was all because of the triple jump. You do want to master it as soon as possible, don't you?" he looked straight at her eyes. She only nodded, not looking away. "But you need to rest now. We can do that triple jump as much as you want later. But first of all, you need to rest. Give your feet a break."

"Yeah, okay…" she gave up. "But I still want to stay here."

"Sure. I doubt you can walk with this leg anyway," he laughed.

"Ah it's okay now, you can stop massaging. Thanks, Ichigo," she smiled.

"No need to thank me, I'm your coach anyway," he said, sitting beside her.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes until Ichigo started a conversation. Yes, just normal talk. About school, about how annoying his father was things which made Rukia laughed. About how annoying her mom was when she teased her and how clueless her father was.

"I should go home now. Thanks again, Ichigo," she stand up and walked away.

"Ah Rukia?" she turned around, facing him.

"Want me to take you home? I can't let you walk with that limp," he smirked. _What did just I said?_ He asked to himself. A smile appeared on her lips.

"Will you?" she said with a sparkle on her eyes. He chuckled.

"I know you're still hurt. Come on," she followed him.

* * *

"Wanna come in, Strawberry?" she asked.

"Nope, thanks. Take some rest, Midget."

"Yeah, sure. Bye!" she said, going out from the car.

"Bye!" he replied right before she closed the car door.

_Okay, he's not that bad…_ she thought. _Actually, he was gentle to me today…_ she continued to herself.

"So, care to tell me about what just happened?" Hisana asked with a teasing smile on her lips. She was leaning on the door frame.

"Mom, I fell when I tried to do the triple jump, three times actually. I sprained my ankle. So he offered to take me home," she explained with a tired tone.

"Sure… so why didn't you invite him in, so I can talk to him about you guys? The way he feels about you?" she teased.

"I've already invited him but he said 'no' Mom. And he doesn't have any sort of feelings. He _is just _my coach."

"Okay, Girl. Sorry for teasing you," she stroked her hair. "Now get some sleep. I know it hurts," she continued, kissing her daughter's cheek.

"Thanks, Mom."

* * *

One week later…

She wore a white sweater, white skirt and stockings that day. Her hair was tied up, and she danced freely on the ice. The DJ played "Theme from Swan Lake" that day, a classical composition. And so, she let her body enjoy the music, imagining that she was a swan. The rink was quite empty that day, so she tried to do some figure skating moves.

At first, she only ran, made some circles and spins. She moved her hands up and down, just like swan's wings. But then, something crossed on her mind. _Maybe I should try the triple jump…_ she thought. After she took a few fast steps, she jumped and swung while she was still on the air. And then…

She had…

A successful landing.

Just then, the music ended, and so did her dance.

_I can do it! Triple jump!_

Applause was heard from her back. Seconds later, she turned around, facing the person applauding her.

"Beautiful dance, Rukia! And finally you can do it!" he said.

"Ichigo… I can do it!"

"Yes, you can," he approached her, ignoring the looks from the others present. "Congratulations, seems that you have to treat me, Midget."

"Huh? When did we make that deal, Strawberry?" she asked. He chuckled.

"Never, Ice Swan."

"Ice Swan?" she was confused.

"Well… you danced like a swan earlier. It made me think about a swan on the ice. So, Ice Swan…?" he blushed a little.

"That's better than 'midget'," she gave him a little punch on his arm.

* * *

They were watching her from behind the glass that surrounded the rink.

"I never knew she can skate that good," Hinamori said.

"No Hinamori, it's beautiful. 'Good' is not enough I think," Renji said.

"Yeah, that's true," she took a glance of her friend, who was watching every movement Rukia was making. "You are falling for her, aren't you?" she asked.

"Maybe? I don't even know," he shrugged.

* * *

"So, what are you planning to do after this?" he asked.

"Huh? After what?" she asked back.

"After you can do the triple jump."

"Hmm… I was planning to join a figure skating competition."

"What?"

"Yeah, why? Is that such a big deal?"

"No, it isn't. But…"

"But what? Am I not good enough to participate?"

"… Yeah, sadly it's true."

"But I know I can, Ichigo."

"You're not yet good enough, Rukia."

"But I know I can if I try! That's what you always say to me!"

"Why are you yelling at me?"

"Because you don't believe in me! You don't believe in my ability!"

"Rukia, calm down! Everyone is staring at us!"

"I don't care! I just want to ask you why you're not allowing me to join the competition!"

"Just shut up, Midget!"

"DON'T CALL ME MIDGET, you Idiot! Do you think that because I am a midget I can't have a big dream? I DO HAVE ONE, Ichigo! I want to win a figure skating competition! So just let me try to grant fulfill it!"

"I'm not saying that you can't have a big dream, Rukia!"

"So? Why don't you allow me to join the competition?" she crossed her arms on her chest.

"You aren't ready, Rukia! You've just recovered from your ankle sprain for about one fuckin' week! And the competition will be held about two weeks from now! Two weeks will not be enough for you to prepare, Rukia! Why the hell are you so stubborn, Midget?"

"DIDN'T I JUST TELL YOU NOT TO CALL ME 'MIDGET'?" she yelled. "You called me with a very good nickname just a few minutes ago and now you make me disappointed," she lowered her voice. Tears were falling from her violet eyes and her body was trembling. Ichigo widened his eyes. _She's crying?_

"Listen, Rukia. Calm down and we will talk about this in the rest area, okay?"

"No. I don't need you as my teacher anymore. Thank you for everything," and she walked away, leaving Ichigo alone.

"Oi Rukia!" he called but decided not to run after her. _I'm sure she has a reason why her mood changed so fast. Maybe she needs some time to think. Alone._ Sighing, he walked out of the rink. _You better tell me the reason, Ice Swan._

* * *

A/N : Oh dear... our main character have a problem here~

well here is the drama! muwahahahaha

I love writing this chapter though... it's interesting!

just wait for chapter 5 guys! If you want to asked me something, just review or PM me :)


	5. Chapter 5 – A Time to Think

A/N : Finally! I've just finished my _unimportant_ exam! yeaaahhh!

anyway, this is chapter 5 and as always, I'd like to thank you all!

for my friends, who correct the grammar in this story and chapter,

for you, the readers, and you who reviews my story

thank you all! :)

Disclaimer : I don't own bleach. Bleach is Tite Kubo's

* * *

Chapter V – A Time to Think

* * *

"Welco—Rukia, what's wrong with you?" Hisana asked when Rukia entered the house.

"Nothing." She answered and brushed her mom, heading to straight to her room.

"Rukia, I know there is something wrong with you!" her mom grasped her left arm. "So tell me!"

"It's nothing, mom! Just leave me alone!" she yanked her arm, running to her room.

As soon as she closed… ugh… no, not 'closed'… 'slammed the door' more precisely, she ran to her bed and fell. She buried her face on her pillow and cried.

"Stupid… Strawberry…" she mumbled between her sobs.

"Rukia, let me in," she could hear her mom's voice from the other side of the door.

"Leave me alone, Mom."

"At least tell me something, dear,"

"Just… leave me alone, Mom… at least, at least for now," she hiccupped a little. Silence.

"Should I bring dinner to your room, Rukia?" she finally asked after some moments passed, informing her that her mom was still there.

"No, I don't feel like eating tonight," hearing her reply, Hisana gave up and walked away.

Rukia gripped her pillow tighter.

"How could you… I—hate you," she cried until she fell asleep.

* * *

Rukia woke up with the worst headache she ever had.

"Ah damn," she mumbled as she walked down the stairs.

"What's wrong dear? You can't walk properly," Hisana asked when she saw her daughter was walking down the stairs with a hand on her head.

"Headache. A bad one… I guess?"

"Sit here," her mom said as she tapped the empty side of the couch, gesturing Rukia to sit beside her. "You know? It's 10 in the morning."

"What?" she screamed, which made her headache worse than before.

"Hush, it's okay, I already told your teacher that you're sick today anyway. Now, care to share about what happened yesterday?" Hisana asked. Rukia leaned her head on her mother's shoulder. She let out a sigh. As she started retelling what happened yesterday, her mom stroked the top of her head. Rukia told her everyting; how it started, and how it finally turned out to be one of the worst days of her life.

"Well, I'm sure your coach has a good reason for telling you so."

"But why didn't he tell me?"

"Because you didn't give him a chance to talk, dear," Rukia couldn't give any reply. "I know how you feel. So if you don't want him to be your teacher anymore, it's fine."

"No, Mom… actually—maybe… maybe I just need some time. I don't know what will happen later. But I think… I think I didn't really mean to say that. He's a good coach, actually. Maybe I just need some time to be… alone…" she explained, not looking at her mom.

"If you say so… but tomorrow is Saturday—"

"No, Mom. I won't be there. Would you tell Urahara-san to postpone my lessons? I want to take some break?" she asked, looking at her mom.

"Sure. Now let's eat breakfast," her mom said, standing from the couch.

"Yeah, and I really need some sleep."

* * *

The next day—Saturday, Rukia only lay on her bed, listening to her iPod and reading some books. But when afternoon came, Hinamori and Renji came to her house to visit her. It was nice though, maybe she could forget about what had happened two days ago.

"How are you?" Hinamori asked, sitting on the end of her bed.

"Better than yesterday," she answered with a smile on her lips. "Anything happened when I was absent?"

"Nope, just some homework," Renji answered.

"Ouch…"

"Ah, about that… here…" Hinamori handed her friend a few piece of paper—homework from their teacher.

"Thanks, Momo."

"No problem."

They continued talking until the sun was about to set. Hinamori and Renji made Rukia laugh, which she appreciated so much, because they made her think about what happened two days earlier less. _It's good to know that they care about me,_ she thought.

* * *

"No, Momo it's fine, really," she said with a smile, even if Hinamori couldn't see it.

"_I'm so sorry, Rukia! My mom just told me this morning!" _

"It's okay, Momo! Just enjoy your family picnic!" after exchanging goodbyes, she hung up the phone. "A full one week without skating," she sighed. "Maybe I should go to there—" she stopped, then closed her eyes. "No, not yet."

Rukia walked out of her house that morning. She was wearing her simple white dress that reached her knees and her purple sandals._Hmm too bad Renji can't join me. The weather is nice_, she thought. _Oh right, he has the 'boy's day out' because they won the game _she laughed to herself. She remembered when Renji told her and Hinamori that his team won the soccer game.

She decided to go to the Karakura mall that day. Maybe she could go to the little park near her house as well, not a bad idea. So, she walked to the park first. It was pretty quiet for Sundays. There were only few children there, so she sat on the swing. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. Everything feels so peaceful, until—

"Oi, Midget!" her eyes snapped open when she heard that voice. _It can't be…_

"Ichigo? What are you doing here?" she asked with wide eyes. She couldn't believe the person who made her cry last week was standing in front of her.

"It's a public place, right? Who said I can't come here?" he asked. She turned her face away.

"No one. Anyway, I'm leaving, bye," she stood up and started to walk away.

"Rukia, wait!" he ran after her. "If it's about what happened last week, I'm sorry."

No answer. After a few second, she just continued walking, leaving Ichigo in the park.

"Damn," he mumbled.

* * *

_Should I go to there…? _She asked herself. Her mind kept telling her to go to Seireitei Rink, but she just can't. Yet there she was, in front of the Seireitei Rink. With a sigh, she entered.

"Oh good morning, Kuchiki-san! Where have you been?" Urahara greeted when he saw her.

"I just need some rest. Maybe next week I'll start skating again, but I'm not taking lessons yet," she explained.

"Eh? Why?"

"Just because… I guess…?" she grinned.

"It's okay, Kuchiki-san. I was here _that_ day," he answered, waving the fan in his hand.

"That day?" she confused.

"Friday, last week. I saw what happened."

"Oh…" she mumbled, lowering her face.

"It's okay. Now, why don't you skate?" he smiled. She shook her head.

"Nope, I'm not in the mood to skate today. I came here just to visit."

"Too bad~ I was planning to give you some discount!"

"Well, maybe later," she grinned. "I should get going, bye!" she said, walking to the glass which surrounded the rink.

Few skaters were in there. There were some people who played hockey on the course area as well. She could see Orihime skating on the public area. _Inoue Orihime… she comes here often, eh?_ She thought.

She stayed there for a while and then walked away when Ichigo entered the rink. _Maybe I'll start skating again next week…_

* * *

"Hey Rukia!" Renji called her when everyone was preparing to go home. Hearing someone calling her name, Rukia turned to the direction of the voice.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"Uh… I was… wondering…" he rubbed his back neck.

"What is it, Renji?" she asked.

"I was just wondering what will you do after school…" he asked with a low voice, but she could hear it clearly.

"Hmm I was planning to do the homework and go to Seireitei rink after that," she answered. _It's been one and a half week since the last time I skate,_ she thought. "Why?"

"Ooh… you wanna skate, huh? Well, since you can't join me, it's okay…"

"And what was that about?"

"Nah, actually if you don't have plans this afternoon, I was asking you to watch this new movie on the theatre," _whoa, not a bad word, Renji!_ He said to himself.

"Well, sorry for that. I'd love to, but I can't," she gave him an apologetic smile.

"It's okay, maybe next time then… have fun!" he wave at her and then left.

"Bye!"

* * *

A/N : so, how's about this chapter? :D

I'll be happy if you leave a review *grinning*

thanks all!


	6. Chapter 6 – To Help You Stand Up

A/N : this is chapter VI, guys! hope you'll love this chapter!

Thanks to you all, to my friends who gave me a lot of correction and to you who review my story.

and of course, to you who read my story :D

Disclaimer : I don't own Bleach. Bleach is Tite Kubo's

* * *

Chapter VI – To Help You Stand Up

* * *

"Six P.M. already?" she asked to herself. She just finished doing her homework and was preparing to go to Seireitei Rink when she realized what time it was. _Well, it closes at 9 P.M. right?_ She thought.

"Mom, I'm going to go to Seireitei Rink. Maybe I'll eat outside," she said to her mom.

"What time will you be home?"

"Hmm… maybe at nine or ten o'clock."

"Okay, take care, dear!"

"Bye Mom!" she closed the front door.

Seireitei Rink was only about a quarter of an hour walk from her house. But she decided to take the bus that night. It will only take about five minutes if she took the bus. And there she was, in front of the Seireitei Rink.

Took a deep breath, she entered. _If he ignores me, then I'll do the same,_ she said to herself. She was just too stubborn to start talking with Ichigo.

* * *

_Okay, so he ignored me, _she sighed at the thought. She has been skating for two hours and the visitors were starting thin out. _Well, 30 minutes before the rink finally closes,_ she thought. A few minutes before nine o'clock, she decided to make a final move, the triple jump—again. It was strange. She could do it about two weeks ago, but she couldn't that day. Of course it was affected by her lack of exercise.

And so tried the last time and she fell again.

"Damn," she growled. She stayed still far a few seconds, facing the ice, until she noticed someone standing in front of her.

* * *

_There's something about her that made her moves seem slightly different today…_ Ichigo thought, leaning on the doorframe leading to the rink. Rukia didn't notice his presence. The rink was already empty, and he was watching Rukia as she tried to do the triple jump. And she fell. Again. With a sigh, he walked towards her.

"Ichigo?" she asked, staring at him.

"Hey," he reached out his hand. She took his hand and stood up. "You push yourself too hard today, you know? If you keep doing that, you'll walk with a limp later."

"I just—" she said, looking away, trying to ignore the fact how close they are. "I can't believe I can't do it."

"Well… that's what you get if you stop—"

"I know, I just need some time," she cut his sentence, looking straight to his eyes. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"So, am I forgiven…?" he asked.

They just stared at each other.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too. I was so harsh back then…" she said finally.

"We were being harsh to each other back then," he chuckled. "So how about we go get something to eat?" a smile appeared on her face. She was hungry anyway.

"Sure," and then the two walked out of the rink.

* * *

"You are so ambitious about that figure skating competition thing, eh?" he asked, eating his burger.

"Well, it is my dream to join the competition…" she answered, drinking her soda. "And—" she gulped, didn't know if she should tell him or not. He just stared at her, afraid if he said something she will change the topic. "It's about… something in my past…" she said finally, her eyes metting his.

"I had a friend when I was in Nagoya. His name was Kaien," she started while playing with her French fries. "He taught me how to skate. And he was a professional," she paused. "He was supposed to join figure skating competition, but—" she stopped, taking a deep breath. "He died on a plane accident when he was flying to Hokkaido, where the competition was held," she ended.

"I'm sor—"

"No, It's okay. I'm fine now," she smiled.

"So that's why you…"

"Yeah, I want to join a competition not just for me. But for him too," she continued for him.

"Well… I didn't let you because it's too early for you. You will not have enough time to prepare. There are still many figure skating competitions waiting for you," he explained.

"Thanks… I know you have a good reason…"

"Yeah, I know you have a good reason too… but listen, don't stay trapped in the past. You can do more than just joining competition,s you know?" he asked, staring straight to her violet eyes. "I know you can," he continued. "And you know, I can help you if you want," he finished. She opened her mouth to say something when Ichigo said,

"Only if you ask me to be your coach again, Midget" he smirked.

"Who said I don't want you to be my coach again? I already said that I was so harsh back then. So I took some break, Strawberry," she said. He let out a sigh.

"Okay, whatever you say, Midget. When will we start again?"

"Next Saturday?"

"Okay," the two smiled at each other.

* * *

She gulped.

"Hey what's wrong with you?" he asked. They were in front of Rukia's house, on Ichigo's car of course.

"It's… 11 P.M…." she said with a low voice.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"I promised to my mom that I'll be home at 10 P.M. and now it's 11 o'clock. And I believe my dad's already home. Oh God…" she sighed.

Silence.

"C'mon," Rukia never realized that Ichigo already opened the passenger's seat door and grabbed her wrist. She allowed him to drag her, until—

Ding dong…

"Coming!" came a voice from inside the house.

"What are you doing?" Rukia whispered to Ichigo. But before he answered,

"Rukia?" her mom opened the door.

"Hey, Mom…" she gave her mom an awkward laugh.

"Kuchiki-san, I'm so sorry Rukia got home this late," he said, bowing to Hisana.

"Mom, this is Kurosaki Ichigo, my coach," she said, answering the unspoken question on Hisana's head.

"Oh! So you're Ichigo, nice to meet you!" Hisana said with a big smile on her face.

"It's nice to meet you too, Hisana-san. But I'd like to say sorry because I was the one who made Rukia came home this late."

"You… are…" Hisana looks at Rukia, who understood what Hisana was thinking.

"It's-it's not like that, Mom! He asked me to get something to eat after I skate until about 9 o'clock!" she explained.

"Ooh I see! Well that's a so nice of you, Ichigo. Thank you for making sure she ate something and for taking Rukia home. You know, she barely ate anything these days."

"Mom! You don't have to say that!" she whined. "And don't you dare comment about that!" she said to Ichigo. _So, what she explained to me earlier disturbed her that much,_ he thought.

"Who's there, Hisana?" and there he comes, Byakuya. The moment Ichigo looked at his eyes; he knew things weren't going to go well.

"Uh… Hello, Kuchiki-sama…" he said awkwardly. He didn't even know why he was calling Rukia's father using '-sama'.

"Byakuya, this is Ichigo, Rukia's coach. He took Rukia home tonight, isn't that nice?" Hisana told her husband with a smile.

"I-I think it's late, Kuchiki-san. I should get going. Goodnight, Kuchiki-sama, Kuchiki-san. Bye Rukia!" he bowed, turned around and then walked away.

"Come again later, Ichigo!" Hisana shouted.

"Sure, Kuchiki-san!" Ichigo answered while he took a last glance at the family and continued to walk towards his car.

"I thought he asked you out tonight…" Hisana said to Rukia but Ichigo could hear it. It made a little blush appear on his cheeks.

"Mom, you don't have to say it out loud!" Rukia whined. Hisana only laughed.

* * *

A/N : I love the moment Ichigo called Byakuya 'Kuchiki-sama', don't know why ahahhaa

and one of my friends that gave me the corrections, laughed when she read that :D

so, now we know why Rukia was angry to Ichigo when he didn't allow her to join the competition. :)

the 'ichigo came to help Rukia when she fell that night on the rink' part was the suggestion from one of my friends.

she said that she got that scene from Go Figure. has anyone watched it yet? because I'm not :P

so I'd like to say thanks to you all, and that part *pointing at 2 lines above this*, let me know if that part is similar so much with some part from Go Figure. because I haven't watched it yet.. and if that part was the same with some scene from that movie, I'll say that it was from my friend who got the inspiration from that movie! :D

let me know what do you think about this chapter, so... do you mind to leave a review? *innocent grin*


	7. Chapter 7 – Day by Day

A/N : hello again, all! thanks a lot for the review! I'm so sorry I can't reply your review because there's something wrong in here... :(

but really, thanks a lot!

so... this is chapter 7 guys! hope you'll like this!

Disclaimer : I don't own bleach. Bleach is Tite Kubo's.

* * *

Chapter VII – Day by Day

* * *

"Hisana, why did he call me 'Kuchiki-sama'?" Byakuya asked his wife. Hisana walked to the bed, approaching her husband.

"So what do you want him to call you? Father? Dad?" Hisana chuckled.

"Not that context, Hisana. I just… never thought someone would ever call me using '-sama'."

"You're a Bank Manager after all. Just tell him if you don't want to be called using '-sama' anymore," she said, snuggling close to him. "It's late, get some sleep, Byakuya," she said, closing her eyes. He sighed and encircled his hands around her.

"Good night, Hisana," he said, kissing her forehead.

"'Night."

* * *

"Ohayou, Rukia!" Renji greeted her the next morning.

"Ohayou."

"Ready for the Physics test?" he asked, taking his seat.

"I… hope so…" she grinned.

"Ah, before I forget; about what I asked yesterday, how about—"

"Rukia!" a dark-haired girl approached her. "Help me with Physics!" she whined.

"S-sure… I'm not that good in Physics though…"

"At least you can teach me!" Hinamori turned her chair around and sat, facing Rukia.

"Well… okay, let's start."

"Hey, can I join?" Renji asked, dragging his chair and putting it between Rukia's and Hinamori's.

"Uh sure…" Rukia mumbled.

"Oi Renji! Wanna join us for a game?" a boy standing in front of the class entrance shouted.

"Sorry! I'm preparing for the Physics test!" Renji shouted back. "Okay, let's start."

They spent thirty minutes before the bell rang for the Physics lesson. Renji though, spent a few seconds to stare at Rukia. Hinamori gave him a teasing smile.

"What is it, Renji?" Rukia asked him, when she realized that Renji was staring at her.

"Ah, it's nothing. Please continue," he grinned.

Riiiing!

"Well, this is it…" Hinamori said.

"Thanks for teaching us, Rukia!" Renji placed his seat back to its place.

"You're welcome," she smiled. The teacher came not long after.

* * *

Rukia was walking home when she heard someone calling her name.

"Oi, Rukia," he tapped her shoulder. Rukia turned around and saw a red-headed guy.

"Ah, Renji."

"I forgot to tell you earlier. About what I asked you yesterday… how about… next Saturday?"

"Oh, about that… I'm so sorry, Renji. I have skating lessons on Saturday…"

"Nah, it's okay. Maybe next time." he said. Rukia gave him a smile. "Okay then, bye!" he waved at her and left.

Rukia continued walking home. _I think I'll go to the Seireitei Rink today… I need more practice,_ she sighed, thinking about what should she use as an excuse so her mom wouldn't tease her.

"Tadaima," she said, entering her house.

"Okaeri, Rukia!" her mom shouted from the kitchen.

"Mom, I'll go to the Seireitei Rink in a few minutes," she said, approaching her mother.

"Meeting him, huh?" her mom elbowed her and gave her a teasing smile.

"Mom, I just need more practice. Besides, I don't even know whether he'll be there or not today," she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, it reminds me. Do invite him over if you go home with him, will you? Tell him I will be cooking for him, so he should come."

"Seems that you like him so much, eh?" she mumbled.

"Come again, Rukia?" her mom asked.

"Nope, it's nothing. Anyway, I better get going. Bye Mom!"

"Take care!"

* * *

"Hey, Midget," he whispered on her ear appearing from the back.

"Ichigo!" she shouted, startled.

"Hey," he grinned.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. She was on her way to the Seireitei Rink.

"You've said that to me twice." He said. "Anyway, where are you going?"

"Seireitei Rink."

"Good. I was on the way back there."

"So you're having your break, huh?"

"Yeah, kinda…" they started to walk side by side to the Seireitei Rink.

"Strawberry," she smirked.

"Hey, why did you call me 'strawberry'?"

"Because you called me 'midget' earlier, Idiot."

"Annoying little Midget."

"Idiot Strawberry."

"Ice Swan," he said with a smile, looking straight to the road. Hearing him calling her by that name, she blushed.

"A-anyway, my mom asked you to come over," she changed the topic. And the orange-haired guy knew that he had won the argument.

"Come over?"

"Yeah, she said she'll cook something…"

"I'd love to. But will your father join us too?"

"Huh? What if I say 'yes'?"

"Well… then I'll think twice to accept your offer."

"Why?" she asked, looking at him. He took a deep breath, still looking at the road.

"I don't know. It's just… I think I can't be in the same room with him for a long time," he said. Hearing his answer, Rukia smirked.

"So that's why you called him 'Kuchiki-sama' last night."

"Hey, I didn't even know why I called him using '-sama'."

"Sure, sure, Strawberry."

"Whatever, Midget."

* * *

"You are Kuchiki Rukia, right?" a girl with long, ginger hair asked.

"Yes, you're Inoue Orihime? If I'm not mistaken?" she said, looking at Orihime.

"Bingo! Nice to meet you, Kuchiki-san!" she said with her high-pitched voice.

"Nice to meet you too. But please call me Rukia."

"Then call me Orihime," she gave her new friend a big smile.

"Uh… from whom did you know my name?"

"Kurosaki-kun. He talked about you a lot," there was a glimpse of sadness on her eyes when she said that.

"Ooh… I see…" Rukia nodded. Right after their exchange, someone called Orihime. The long-haired girl said goodbye to Rukia and then left. She was sitting on the lounge when someone approached her.

"Looks like you two will make good friends," recognizing the voice, Rukia rolled her eyes. The owner of the voice sat next to her. "I have a good news for you," he said, looking straight to the violet orbs.

"What is it?"

"The skating competition is postponed until about two or three months from now," he said. Hearing the news, Rukia held her breath.

"So?"

"You wanna join?" he smiled. Releasing her breath, she let a huge smile appear on her face.

"Can I?"

"Only if you agreed to have an extended practice time—"

"I'm in!" she cut his words. He gave her a smile.

"We will start tomorrow at five. Three times a week, not including your regular class schedule," he stood up and left.

"Roger!"

* * *

One month of extra practice. Actually, Rukia enjoyed it, especially since it was winter so she could practice outside. Ichigo tried his best to prepare Rukia for joining the competition. He knew that Rukia had the ability to join. That was why he tried his best to convince his fellow coaches that Rukia had the skills to take part on the competition.

"Hey, Ichigo, how about we practice on the pond again today?" she asked with an innocent grin.

"But—"

"Please?" she pleaded. He sighed, ruffling his orange hair.

"Okay, okay. Whatever you want, Midget."

They walked to the pond near the Seireitei Rink.

"Oi Midget! Be careful! I'm not gonna help you stand up if you—"

BRUGH!

Too late. Rukia slipped before Ichigo finished his sentence.

"Told you, you should be careful," he reached out his hand and Rukia took it.

"Sorry…" she said with a grin.

"'Kay, let's start," he said and the extra lessons started.

She skated well. But he still had to correct some of her moves, such as how high her leg should rise, or the movement of her hands should be. Some Ichigo should follow her by her, skating side, and sometimes he had to hold her hand to correct her movement or raise her leg higher. It made both of them blush.

"Look, Ichigo! It's snowing!" she cheered.

"Yeah, I know, Midget!"

"Hey, Strawberry, do you know that I love snow?" she asked, catching the snowflakes on her hands.

"You've said that. A few days after our first meeting…" he said. And when he turned to look at her, she was staring at the snow. Her expression was so peaceful. A small smile appeared on her pink lips. _Oh God…_ he thought, closing his eyes for a few seconds. But when he opened them again, she was still there with the same expression. His mind went blank, and just when he started to lean closer—

"Ichigo?" she asked, looking straight to his eyes. _Oh God…_ _wait, what did I just intent to do?_ He thought. "Ichigo?" Rukia called again.

"Y-yeah?"

"What's wrong with you?"

"I-it's nothing," he said, looking away. "Let's go back to Seireitei Rink. It's too cold here," and he walked away. Rukia just followed him. _Did he just… oh no, it's impossible. But…_ she thought and it made her blush.

* * *

One month later…

"Hey Rukia, you'll join the competition!"

"Really? Is that the final result?" she asked.

"Yeah, just wait for the announcement," he smiled.

They talked to each other until—

"Oh, they have posted the announcement!" both Ichigo and Rukia rushed to the announcement board.

A few names were written there. And there they were, in front of the board, only to find—

Inoue Orihime?

"Ichigo…" Rukia whispered, holding back her tears.

* * *

A/N : sooo, that was chapter 7!

how was it?

I will be **very **happy if you leave a review :)

I loooovvveeee the 'ichigo nearly kissed rukia' scene ahahaa

I can't stop smiling widely when I write that part :)

so tell me what do you think :)


	8. Chapter 8 –  The Light in Her Eyes

**Sorry** for long update!

anyway, here's chapter 8 and I hope you'll like this!

I'd like to thank you all!

Disclaimer : I don't own bleach. Bleach is Tite Kubo's

* * *

Chapter VIII –The Light in Her Eyes

* * *

"Oh, they have posted the announcement!" both Ichigo and Rukia rushed to the announcement board.

A few names were written there. And there they were, in front of the board, only to find 'Inoue Orihime' instead of 'Kuchiki Rukia'.

"Ichigo…" Rukia whispered, holding back her tears.

* * *

"How could this be?" Ichigo asked—more like shouted—to Urahara.

"The head coach chose Inoue to join the competition."

"But I didn't know about this!"

"The final verdict was decided after you left, Kurosaki-kun," he explained.

"Damn," he groaned, ruffling his hair.

"It's-it's okay, Ichigo," Rukia said.

"But Rukia—"

"It's fine!" she shouted, looking straight to his eyes. "I am going home. Now," she said with a low voice.

"I'll take you—"

"No, I can go home by myself. Thanks for the offer, Ichigo," she said, turning away. But before she could take a step, he grasped her wrist.

"Rukia, it's already fuckin' late! Just shut up and let me take you home!"

Her mind was blank, so she just let Ichigo drag her.

"Let me go!" she whined and tried to yank her arm. "Ichigo it hurts! Let go!" Finally, Ichigo let go of her wrist.

"Sorry Rukia, I was just—" he stopped when he saw her eyes. _Something is missing,_ he thought. "Rukia…"

"I'm fine, Ichigo. I just want to go home," she said. Ichigo sighed.

"Fine. Let's go."

* * *

"Thanks Ichigo. See you next Tuesday," she said with a forced smile while opening the passenger door.

"Rukia, wait—"

"I'm fine Ichigo. Please believe me," she looked straight to his eyes. Everything in her eyes was convincing him that he should believe her. He sighed.

"Okay, whatever you say, Midget. So… see you next Tuesday?" he smirked.

"Yeah… bye, Strawberry!" and she left.

"I know she lost something in her eyes…" he mumbled.

Knock knock!

There was a knock on the passenger side window.

"What is it, Midget?" he asked, rolled down his car window.

"My mom… asked you to come over…" she said, biting her lower lip.

"Huh?" he could see Rukia's mother leaning on the door frame, smiling at them. "Is your Dad—"

"No, he isn't there," she cut his sentence with a smirk on her lips.

"Well… if that's the case, sure, then."

* * *

They gathered on the dining table. Rukia sat next to Ichigo and Hisana was in front of them. _Is it just me, or this feels kinda like the first time a boy says to his girlfriend's mom that he is dating her daughter? Wait, what am I thinking?_ He shook his head.

"Seriously, Ichigo. You should call me 'Hisana-san'. It's better than 'Kuchiki-san'. So you can call Byakuya 'Kuchiki-san'," she said with a teasing smile on her lips.

"Uh, sure… Ku—Hisana-san,"

"Or would you like to call me 'mother'?"

"E—excuse me?" he choked on his food. Rukia, who sat next to him, only lowered her face, hiding the blush that began appearing on her cheeks.

"Never mind!" she grinned. "Anyway, how's the food?" she changed the topic.

"I love your cooking, Hisana-san. You should try my mother and my sister's cooking later! They're also good!" he said politely.

"Oh I'd love to, Ichigo! I think we should make a family gathering!" Hisana clasped her hands in front of her.

"Sure…" but Ichigo couldn't imagine what it would be like if Isshin meet Byakuya. The thought alone made him cringe.

"Maybe the next time you come over, Rukia should cook something for you. You should try her cooking, anyway,"

"Mom, you know I can't cook," she leaned back on her chair. "And I don't care about it."

"But she is good at making coffee and tea. You should try it someday," Hisana pointed at Rukia while looking at Ichigo.

"I'd love to," he smiled.

"Yeah, she's very good in making _instant_ coffee and tea," Hisana grinned.

"Eh…?" Ichigo was confused.

"Mom, are you trying to embarrass me?" Rukia mumbled. But Hisana heard her.

"I guess so," she grinned.

* * *

"Mornin', Rukia!" Renji greeted.

"Morning," she greeted back with a smile.

"How's your weekend?" he asked, taking his seat.

"Fine. How about yours?" she asked him back, facing him.

"Just some normal stuff. Playing soccer and watching movies."

"Ooh… I see…" as she said that, Renji realized something amiss.

"Hey Rukia, is there—"

"Good morning, guys!" but Hinamori's voice stopped his mid-sentence.

"Morning, Momo! How's your weekend?" Rukia asked.

"As usual… just going to mall and buying things…" Hinamori smiled. "Hey, have you guys done the Biology homework?"

"Damn! I forgot!" Renji cursed.

"Glad to know I'm not the only one," the dark-haired girl grinned.

"Well, I'm not finished yet, actually… let's do it together then…" Rukia said, taking out her Biology text book from her bag.

They spent the next 20 minutes doing their homework until the bell rang and the teacher entered the class. The lesson began, but Renji couldn't focus. His mind was filled with a single question: 'What's wrong with her?'. That was why he stole glance at Rukia every two minutes. Sighing, he wrote something on a small paper and passed it to Rukia.

_How about we have something to eat after school?_ She read it quietly. She smiled, and wrote something below Renji's handwriting.

_Sure._

* * *

"Really? I never thought you played that game too!" Renji shouted, making other costumers on the café turned and stare at them. "Sorry…" he mumbled to them.

"Yeah, I used to play Final Fantasy IX. But I used to play Harvest Moon more, though," she said with a smile.

"Used? You mean—"

"Yeah, I'm not playing them anymore since I entered Junior High School…" she shrugged.

"Too bad. I'm still playing it," he paused. "Well, not Harvest Moon though… I mean Final Fantasy."

"Yeah, I know, I know," she laughed.

They laughed together between sips of their coffee. The end, Renji didn't ask Rukia anything about what was bothering her. _But at least I can make her laugh…_ he thought.

"Thanks for today, Renji!" Rukia said cheerfully.

"Che, no problem," he smiled. They only went to the café and talked about their favorite video games that afternoon. But they enjoyed that moment a lot.

"See you tomorrow!" she shouted and waved at him.

"Yeah!" they walked the opposite ways.

_I understand now. I don't love her. She is just like a sister to me,_ he thought. _Even though she almost made me fall for her when she was skating_,he smiled.

* * *

"Yo, Midget!" Ichigo shouted, approaching her.

"Yo, Strawberry," she smiled, crossing her arms. _Something is still amiss. I wonder what it is…_ he thought.

"What do you want to do today?" he asked.

"Huh? Aren't you supposed to teach me something today?"

"Yeah, but I think I should give you some free time," he smirked. The smile on her face disappeared.

"Ichigo, if this is about—"

"No, I just want to give you a free time, why is that such a big deal?" he cut her sentence.

"If this is about what happened last Saturday, I'm perfectly fine with _that_," she finished her sentence, ignoring his words. _Liar._

"As I said earlier, I just want to give you some free time, Rukia," he said, looking straight to her eyes. "How 'bout we go to the pond, and skate there?" he asked, smiling. _Snow! _She cheered in her mind.

"Sure!" and they walked together towards the pond.

* * *

The frozen pond was empty, maybe because it was snowing. But for Rukia, it was perfect. _Feels like this pond belongs to me, _she thought. Ichigo just watched her skating on the pond and catching snowflakes with her hands, but his mind was still busy figuring out what was lost from her eyes.

"Oi, Rukia!" he called, approaching her.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask somethin'?" she stared at his eyes, waiting for him to say something. "I know…" he began, ruffling his orange hair and looking away. But after a few seconds, he didn't say anything.

"Know what?" she asked.

"Ah right. I know that… _that_ thing is bothering you. About the competition—"

"I'm fine, Ichigo," she gave him a sad smile.

"Liar."

"I _am_ fine, Ichigo. How many times do I have to repeat?"

"Stop acting so strong, Rukia. I know it hurts you a lot."

"Shut up," and then she walked away. Anger was burning in her eyes, Ichigo could see it clearly.

"Oi Rukia!" Ichigo shouted, but he stayed where he was, watching as she walked away. "Damn," he ruffled his hair. He suddenly remembered her eyes two weeks ago. Then the realization came. "Has she lost the light in her eyes…?"

* * *

So, Renji didn't love Rukia :P

I really love to play Harvest moon and to watch my brother play Final Fantasy... :D

I love the dinner part! ahahha~

well, tell me what's on your mind! this story have 10 chapters, which means there are only 2 chapters left!

review please, if you don't mind :)


	9. Chapter 9 – White Tears

A/N : guys! this is chapter 9!

sorry for long await. I have some problem with my life here :'(

I love this chapter! after chapter 10 actually :P

hope you'll like this chapter! and thank you to you all who read this fanfic, who gave me reviews and of course who help me with grammars :)

for you who asked me is this story really will end in chapter 10,my answer is yes. it has 10 chapters. but the last chapter is loooong you know? it's like about 2 chapters but I make it as one ;)

so, happy reading!

Disclaimer : I don't own Bleach. Bleach is Tite Kubo's

* * *

Chapter IX –White Tears

* * *

After that day, Rukia didn't come to Seireitei Rink for a week. Her mom told Urahara that she was sick. But still, Ichigo didn't believe it. She didn't reply his text messages or answered his call. And it bothered him.

"Why don't you go to her house and check on her?" Urahara sat next to Ichigo.

"She'll kick me out."

"But at least you know that she's alright if she can kick you," he waved his fan. _He got a point_, Ichigo thought. He sighed and stood up.

"Thanks, Urahara-san."

"You're welcome, Kurosaki-kun."

It was the longest journey he ever had, because his mind was busy thinking about what he should say to Rukia. He was the one who made her angry. Sure he had to ask for forgiveness. But… how?

He stopped at the convenience store to buy some fruits, trying to make his visit to her house as normal as any visit to a sick friend. Then, he continued driving.

* * *

Ding Dong…

"Coming!" it was Hisana's voice. "Oh good afternoon, Ichigo!" she greeted him.

"Good afternoon, Hisana-san," he greeted back with smiled. "Is Rukia… home?"

"Yes, she is. She's in her bedroom. Just go to upstairs, Ichigo," she gave him a teasing smile.

"Ah, here, I thought she would like some strawberry," he handed Rukia's mother the fruit.

"That's so kind of you, Ichigo! Wait, how did you…"

"I asked her when she ordered strawberry milkshake for the drink, and she said she loves strawberry."

"Ooh… I see… oh, just go to her room, Ichigo! It's the first door on the second floor," she let Ichigo enter the house.

"Thanks!" he took the stairs.

Knock knock!

"You don't have to knock the door, Mom." It was Rukia's voice. Ichigo was about to say that it was him, but decided not to. He supposed if he did, she would start yelling at him.

He opened the door and there she was, lying on the bed, her back facing him. He took a few steps to her bed.

"Rukia…" he called out. Hearing his voice, her eyes widened.

"Ichigo… w-what are you doing here?" she asked with a low voice.

"Listen, Rukia. I'm sorry, I really am. I know I shouldn't force you to say things you want to keep for yourself. I just…" he paused. "I care about you, Rukia. I care about you, Rukia for God's sake!"

Silence.

"… Go away…" she whispered.

"What…?"

"Go away, Ichigo…" her voice rose.

"Rukia, listen—"

"Go away, Ichigo. Please. I want to be alone. My head hurts a lot."

Another pause.

"Just one thing, Rukia. Don't carry the burden alone. Share it with someone—share it with Me." He walked out of her room, closing the door after he said so.

On his way to leave, though, Hisana confronted him.

"Sit here, Ichigo. I want to have a word with you," Hisana said. _Did she… tell her mother that I made her angry?_ he thought.

"What is it, Hisana-san?" he sat beside her and gulped.

"What's wrong with her? She acted pretty normal these couple of days, but she barely eats lately. And she got flu yesterday."

"She acted normal…?" he confused. _I thought she was angry_.

"Yes, but she skipped her ice skating lessons and told me that she wasn't feeling well. So, what's wrong with her? I know there's something bothering her, but I never asked her. I want her to tell me by herself. Do you happen to know?" she explained. Ichigo took a deep breath.

"Well… there is a figure skating competition she wanted to join. I supported her, of course. So, I made sure that she would join that competition at the meeting. We prepared for the competition, too. She took extra hours of practice, and she showed progress. I know she has the ability join the competition," he paused, taking another deep breath. "But on the day the representative for Seireitei Skating School was announced, we saw another name on the board. She was not chosen," he lowered his face. "I know that it was my mistake, because I told her that she joining the competition. But I don't know that the final decision on the representative selection was decided after I left. I had to attend some business," he let out a long sigh.

"She acted like it wasn't a big deal, but I know that she's hurting inside. I know that she was holding back her tears when she saw the announcement, so last Tuesday—when she had her skating class, I gave her a free time. We skated on the pond because I know she loves it. Just then, I realized something. She lost the light on her eyes since the day the announcement was made. So I know that I was right when I thought that it bothered her so much," he lifted his face, but not looking at Hisana. "I asked her what was bothering her, but she kept telling me that she was fine, nothing was bothering her. I know that she was lying, though. It was my mistake. I forced her to tell me the truth, and it made her angry. But… I did it because I care about her…" he ended his speech with a sigh.

"It's not your fault," she patted his shoulder. "Rukia was just putting up an act, pretending she's strong. I think she was determined to do so it since Kaien's funeral. You know Kaien, don't you?" she asked. Ichigo just nodded, so she continued. "And the day when she came home crying because you didn't allow her to join the competition only added the fact," she chuckled.

"Sorry…"

"No problem," she said, patting his shoulder again and hugging him. "Rukia will tell you what's bothering her sooner or later. You care about her, right?" Ichigo nodded. "I'm sure she knows…" he smiled and suddenly Hisana realized that she was hugging Ichigo. "Ah, sorry! My motherly instinct kicks in!" he laughed.

"No problem, Hisana-san! Thank you for listening to my explanations. I guess I should get going," he stood up.

"Thanks for coming, Ichigo!"

* * *

Four days later…

Rukia stared at the sky. The snow was falling. Normally, she would cheer happily. She would skate on that pond, not caring how cold it really was. But that day was different. She only stood there; looking at the snow as if it was the strangest thing she's ever seen in her life. Sure, she skated anyway, but she just skated from side to side. No dance, no jump.

It was Saturday. She was supposed to be in Seireitei Rink, having skating lessons with Ichigo, but she didn't go there. Instead, she went to the pond and just… stood there. Catching another flake of snow, she let out a sigh.

"Rukia…" someone called her and she knew who it was.

* * *

She was there. Yes, she was there, standing like a statue. Like a statue with a dark violet colored coat and skating shoes. Taking a deep breath, he approached her.

"Rukia…" he called. After a few seconds passed, she turned around. "Hey," he continued.

"Ichigo…" she gave him a weak smile.

"I thought you won't come to Seireitei Rink, but come to here instead. So…" he answered the unspoken question on her mind.

"I know…" she mumbled, lowering her face when Ichigo stood in front of her. She closed her eyes, holding back tears. _Why? Every time I see him after that day, it makes me want to cry,_ she thought. She let out a long sigh, but her downcast eyes opened wide when she felt the warmth against her body.

Ichigo was hugging her. He encircled his arms around her waist. It was weak at first. If Rukia took a step back, his arms would fall from her waist. But then, he tightened his arms around her waist, drawing her closer to him.

He leaned his chin on the top of her head, closing his eyes. Rukia's were still wide opened.

They stayed in that position for a while until he heard her sobs.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he whispered to her, releasing his arms from her waist, putting them on her shoulders. He tried to look at her face, but she lowered her gaze. "Shh… Rukia, please, don't cry…" but she only cried, as if she didn't hear what he had said. So he lifted her face with his fingers on her chin and wiped her tears. But she only cried harder. "Oh God, Rukia…" he wrapped his arms around her again.

"S-sorry, I-Ichigo…" she hiccupped.

"Shh… it's okay, Rukia," he said, stroking her raven hair.

They stayed still for a while until she stopped crying.

"Feeling better?" he asked when her body finally stopped shaking.

"Yeah, thanks…" she gave him a weak smile. Ichigo smiled back and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to a bench. They sat there side by side.

"It hurts, huh?" he asked.

"Well… yeah… when I think I finally can achieve my dream, suddenly it was taken away…" she sighed. "But it's fine now, really. I feel a lot better now. Sorry for soaking your coat," she chuckled.

"It's not a big deal. See? You need to share your burden with someone," he smiled. Rukia didn't say anything. She just stared at the pond in front of them. _The light is back, although it does not shine as bright,_ he thought, staring intently at her from the side. He continued staring at her and leaned forward until—

He pressed his lips on her cheek.

Violet eyes widened when she realized what Ichigo had done, but she was frozen into her spot.

Soon enough, he pulled away when he realized what he had done. They stared at each other's eyes for what seems like forever. Violet met amber.

"Rukia, s—"

"ICHIGO!" the voice calling him was familiar. Very familiar. And when he realized whose voice that was, he cursed,

"Shit."

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" she asked.

"ICHIGOOOOOOOO! I DON'T KNOW YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND!" the voice came nearer. A second later he pushed Rukia down so they could avoid the person who jumped straight to them.

The person who jumped landed on the snow. Hard

"AUGH!" as soon as they heard his groan, Ichigo and Rukia sat back.

"Hey, Old Man. What the fuck are you doin' here?" Ichigo asked, confusing Rukia. Suddenly the person stood up.

"Ichigo! How dare you not telling me you have a girlfriend!" he shouted.

"Rukia, this is my father, Kurosaki Isshin," he said to Rukia and the girl bowed. "And she isn't my girlfriend, Dad!"

"Nice to meet you, Kurosaki-san…" Rukia said.

"Ooh! I hate formalities! Call me Daddy!" Isshin said cheerfully.

"Uh… I'm afraid I can't, Kurosaki-san…" she whispered awkwardly, but Isshin ignored her comment.

"Dad! Where are you?" came another voice. Soon, three people came. The first was a woman with long, light-brown hair. The second to came was a girl with short black hair, and the other one was a girl with short light-brown hair.

"Masaki, look! Ichigo has a girlfriend!" Isshin said cheerfully.

"She IS NOT my girlfriend, Dad!"

"But you kissed her!" he shouted back. Bingo. Ichigo and Rukia's were face completely red.

"Well well… hey there, I'm Ichigo's mother, Kurosaki Masaki. Nice to meet you," the woman said A gentle smile was on her face.

"I'm Kurosaki Yuzu, and this is my twin, Kurosaki Karin! Nice to meet you!" the light-brown haired girl said cheerfully.

"I'm Kuchiki Rukia, it's nice to meet you all," she said, her cheek still rosy.

"So, how long have you two been dating?" Yuzu asked with sparkles on her eyes.

"Uh… actually… I'm not you brother's girlfriend…" Rukia chuckled. Isshin slumped to the snow and groaned,

"Nooooooo…"

Masaki laughed.

* * *

"Sorry about that, Midget," he said. They're walking side by side to Rukia's house.

"It's okay, Strawberry. You have a pleasant family by the way… I like them already," she replied with a smile and he laughed.

"Glad to know that," he paused. "Ah right, I need to tell you something, Rukia."

"Yeah?"

"You know, the skating competition will be held two weeks from now, so the head of coach asked me to give intensive training to Inoue. Therefore, I can't teach you for about… two weeks until the competition ends," he explained. Somehow a slight sadness appeared on Rukia's face.

"Nah, it's okay. I'll practice by myself…" she said, stretching her arms in front of her, looking straight ahead.

"You mean… another postpone?"

"Yeah…" _I don't know why the news makes me sad,_ she thought. _I should have expected it anyway._

She sighed inwardly.

* * *

A/N : so, that was chapter 9 and I love this :)

I always love the part when finally Rukia cried and Ichigo hug her, awwwww

so what do you think? give me your opinion! :D

this is not important but I just want to write:

my problems really make me confused and tired.. so please, I need your support, guys! :)


	10. Chapter 10 – First Dance

A/N : guys! thanks a lot for your support!

the problem is okay, only to become a bigger problem.

it's already end now, really end.. not a very sad or happy ending.. but I's okay..

I really appreciate your support.. thanks a lot! :)

so, as my thanks for you, this is the final chapter of melted on ice!

I love this chapter! I really do!

and like I said before, this chapter is long.. about two chapters but I put them in one.

thanks to you all, the readers, the reviewers!

special thanks to my friends who help me with grammar! thanks a lot, guys!

so, this is it, melted on ice chapter 10! enjoy~

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Bleach is Tite Kubo's

* * *

Chapter X –First Dance

* * *

The next day, Rukia woke up with a smile on her lips. She knew what day it was.

"Happy birthday to me," she said to herself. With full energy, she got up from her bed. After she changed her clothes, she ran downstairs and rushed to the dining room, waiting for breakfast to be served.

"Happy birthday, dear," Hisana said, kissing the top of her head.

"Thanks, Mom!" she replied.

Her mom's kiss reminded her about Ichigo's kiss on her cheek the previous day. She clearly remembered how it felt. _He kissed me… on my cheek…_ she thought, bringing her fingers to the spot where Ichigo had kissed her.

"Something wrong with your cheek, dear?" her mom interrupted her train of thought.

"N-no, Mom…" she grinned widely.

"Happy birthday, Rukia," came the voice of her dad.

"Thanks, Dad!"

"What do you want for your birthday present?" her mom asked. Rukia stopped to think for a while then answered,

"I want to have a family dinner tonight," she answered it with a smile.

"Sure, dear."

* * *

Time passed by, it was afternoon already. She spent half of the day staying at home, watching some movies. She decided to take a walk until dusk came. She wore her dark violet coat, soft pink gloves and scarf, and covered her head with her dark violet knit cap. She wore her simple black boots to complete her look. It was snowing, and now she could walk light-heartedly since the burden on her heart had been lifted. So she walked alone, enjoying the snow.

She received birthday messages from her friends, including Renji and Hinamori, wishing her all the best. None of them were from Ichigo, though. _Maybe he doesn't know that today is my birthday…_ she smiled sadly. _So what if he doesn't know?_ She asked herself.

"Oi! Midget!"

"Why are you calling me 'midget', Idiot?" she shouted back, turning around to face him.

"Ah, so I was right. If I tapped your shoulder and the person wasn't you, it'll be awkward. I call you 'midget' instead, just to make sure," he shrugged.

"Idiot."

"What did you say, Midget?"

"I said idiot, Strawberry," she grinned.

"Che, whatever, Midget," he smirked. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"Just taking a walk. Problem?" she asked.

"Nope. Hey, wanna join me for a _little game_?"

"Little game…?"

* * *

"Gotcha, Strawberry!" Rukia shouted as she threw the snow ball to him. It hit him square on the face. Nice shot.

"You're gonna pay for that, Midget!" He threw back a snow ball towards her, but missed. She laughed loudly.

They played snow ball war for about an hour and stopped when they felt tired. More because they laughed a lot; not the war, actually.

"In the end, I win!" she cheered.

"Yeah, whatever! Next time I'll win!" he shouted back even though they were walking side by side.

"Next time?" He didn't answer.

"Anyway, I'm hungry. Why don't we get something to eat?" he offered.

"Uh sure…"

Rukia thought he would take her to some diner or some fast food restaurant. But instead, he took her to a mid-class restaurant. Some couples chatted romantically there. She gulped. _Is this… a… date…?_ She asked herself.

They ate and chatted with a low voice. Sure, they still called each other 'midget' and 'strawberry', but the atmosphere was just different.

"Ichigo, may I ask something?" she asked when she had finished her dinner.

"Before you ask, can I say something?"

"Um… sure…" she answered. Hearing her reply, he took something from his pocket.

"Happy birthday, Rukia," he said with a smile and handed her the present, a square dark blue box.

"H-how did you…" she couldn't keep her lips from curving to a smile.

"The student's data. I read yours and it clearly stated that today is your birthday," he grinned.

"Thank you, Ichigo," she whispered. "May I open the present?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips. He only nodded. And when she opened the box, her eyes sparkled with joy.

Inside the box laid a necklace with an amethyst pedant hanging from the silver chain. The pedant was teardrop-shaped, with loops of carved silver supporting the gemstone. It was a simple piece of jewelry =, but she loved it.

"Ichigo…" she lifted her face, looking straight to him.

"Do you like it? It matches perfectly with your eyes," he smiled gently. _I didn't even know why I considered giving her a necklace on the first place_, he thought.

"I love it! Thank you so much, Ichigo!" she shouted, which made some couples who sat near them turned to face them for a while, smiling. Some mumbled 'Ah… young love…' Both of them blushed.

"You're very welcome, Rukia," he said, standing up from his chair. He walked to Rukia's back, took the necklace and encircled it on her neck. "See? It matches perfectly with your eyes," he continued. His comment made her laughed. "What are you laughing at?"

"No, I just don't think that you're a romantic type of person."

"I'm trying, Midget."

"Sure, sure."

"So, what do you want to ask earlier?" he asked, taking his seat back.

"Ah right… well… I was wondering… is this a… date?" she asked carefully, afraid if there was hope implied on her sentence. He smirked, leaning on his palm.

"What do you think?" he asked back instead. She only answered with a smile. They knew that they had the same word on their mind, "yes".

* * *

Ding dong…

Ichigo pushed the doorbell, with Rukia beside him. It was nine o'clock.

The door opened, and Hisana stood there with Byakuya by her side.

"Oh hi, Ichigo!" Hisana greeted.

"Hi, Hisana-san, Kuchiki-sama." _Wait, why am I calling him '-sama' again?_

"Come in!" Hisana and Byakuya moved, Ichigo and Rukia came in.

"You go ahead," Byakuya said to Rukia. "And Kurosaki? Can I have a word with you?" he asked.

"S-sure…" Ichigo followed him to his office.

"I have no idea as to what you two were doing earlier, or how you feel about each other. I just wish to tell you one thing, Kurosaki," he paused. "If you ever hurt her, I will personally make sure you will hurt as well, tenfold."

"Y-yes, Kuchiki-sam—"

"And don't call me '-sama'. Kuchiki-san is fine."

"Yes, Kuchiki-san."

"Very well. Now off you go," Byakuya deadpanned. After bowing, Ichigo left the office. _Geez… that sure was tense…_ he thought.

* * *

A week passed by in a blur for Rukia. The week was uneventful, except for her mother's teasing her about the necklace for a few days… well, everyday actually. Hisana just loved to tease her. Nothing changed. Well, there was one thing actually. _I'm not missing him. I just feel lonely a little bit,_ she thought. She might be denying it, but she knew the truth. _Well, maybe I miss him._

"How 'bout we hang out a while after school?" Renji suggested. They were on lunch break, Renji just got back from canteen.

"It's a good idea. I want to buy a new CD," Hinamori said.

"How about you?" Renji asked Rukia.

"Yeah, sure."

They continued eating.

* * *

Rukia was skimming through the pop-rock CD rack when Hinamori approached her.

"Hey Rukia, I know this is not a new song, but you should try lstening to it!" Hinamori handed her the earphones with a smile on her face. And so, Rukia put on the earphones.

The song started with a woman's voice.

_Be still my heart__  
__lately its mind is on its own__  
__it would go far and wide__  
__just to be near you_

And came a man's voice.

_Even the stars__  
__shine a bit bright I've noticed__  
__when you're close to me_

And after one line being sung the woman,

_Still it remains a mystery_

Came the chorus.

_Anyone who seen us_

_Knows what's going on between us_

_It doesn't take a genius_

_To read between the lines_

_And it's not just wishful thinking_

_Or only me who's dreaming_

_I know what these are symptoms of_

_We could be in love_

After listening to the song, she realized something. Removing the earphones from her ears, she said,

"Momo, I need to tell you something."

* * *

"Good! That's enough for today, Inoue!" Ichigo shouted to Orihime. Tomorrow was the day of the competition. Ichigo and Orihime were on the training rink for the competition participants, with some other participants in there.

"Thanks, Kurosaki-kun," she took a deep breath.

"Now you can rest. Prepare for tomorrow. You should get a nice nap," he said, tapping her shoulder.

"Of course, Kurosaki-kun." He left the rink first. _I wonder what she's doing right now…_ he thought.

The next day came faster than he thought. The competition began and he hoped for the best. They were in Hokkaido, far away from Karakura, so Rukia couldn't be there to support them. Of course there were some people who supported them. But somehow, Ichigo wanted Rukia to be there. For him.

* * *

Orihime got the second place. Not bad at all. She worked hard for the competition, so he was pleased. He was entering a music store when he heard the song. It was a duet.

_Don't open my eyes __  
__I'll wake from the spell I'm under__  
__Makes me wonder how tell me how__  
__I could live without you now_

Came the chorus.

_And what about the laughter__  
__The happy ever after__  
__Like voices of sweet angels__  
__Calling out our names__  
__And it's not just wishful thinking__  
__Or only me who's dreaming__  
__I know what these are symptoms of__  
__We could be in love_

Then came the man's voice only,

_All my life_

_I have dreamed of this_

_But I could not see your face_

And then, the woman's solo,

_Don't ask why two such distant stars_

_Can fall right into place_

The chorus repeated and then the song same to an end. Just then, he gulped. Soon, a smile appeared on his face. _Finally, I know._

* * *

Rukia was skating. It was nearly 9 P.M. and the rink was already empty, but she still skates. Urahara said she could have the rink until 10, anyway, although she didn't know why he had let her. She didn't waste the opportunity time to skate alone on the rink. When the DJ played one last song—for her maybe, she started to dance. It was the first time having the rink to dance for her own. It made her think how would it feel if she danced in the competition, but for that day, she just wanted to dance freely.

She followed the beat of the song and let her body dance. She started with slow steps, and then slow swings, a few jumps, and the triple jump, of course. And when the bridge of the song came, she turned around…

She saw _him _standing not too far from her.

_And if you were with me tonight,_

He smiled gently at her.

_I'd sing to you just one more time._

"Hey," he whispered, barely audible.

_A song for a heart so big,_

"Can I have this… dance?" he asked, offering his right hand. Seeing his gesture, she was over whelmed. She nearly shed tears, but she smiled.

"Sure," and she took his hand.

_God wouldn't let it live._

They danced together on the Ice. He encircled her waist with one of his hands. But soon, he hugged her protectively. The chorus repeats twice, and the song came to an end, as did the dance.

When the song completely stopped, they still there for a while. Ichigo hugging her, and she hugging him back. He closed his eyes and buried his hose into her hair, inhaling her scent.

"I thought you're still in Hokkaido," she broke the silence.

"I just got back," he replied, resting his chin on the top of her head. She leaned her head to her chest and said,

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Aren't you tired from your trip?"

"Yeah… but…"_ have to say about plan I made with Urahara, right?_ "Never mind. Anyway, I have something to say," he said, facing her. "Wait here," he pulled his arms from her and walked out of the rink,

Only to come back with a bucket of…

_Are those… roses…?_ She asked herself in disbelief.

"I'm not good with words… so… well… I hope this is enough to express it…" he handed her the bucket, ruffling his hair. She couldn't stop smiling.

"What does this means?" she asked.

"Well, there are 14 roses in total—your birth date. You said that you love snow, so I thought you would also love white. Therefore, I added eleven white roses as a symbol of uniqueness. Or…" he stopped.

"Or…?"

"I also means… You're… the most beloved person of my life…" he said with a low voice. She could see the pink shade on his cheeks. She chuckled, holding back her tears.

"And what about the red roses?"

"Three roses mean…" he paused, looking straight to her eyes. He cleared his throat. "I love you…" and then her tears started falling. "I read it from internet… so don't blame me if I made a little mistake for the meanings… hey, why are you crying?" he asked, wiping her tears.

"Ichigo…" that was all she could say.

He bent down a little, so her face was on the same level as his. He lifted her face, his fingers on her chin—making her face him.

"I said to you that I love you. And I was asking you to be my girlfriend. So…" they stared at each other for a while.

"Yes…" she whispered. He leaned forward, pressing his lips on hers.

* * *

"Aah… young love…" Urahara said, waving his fan.

"Yeah, it was about time he confessed his love to her," Ishida said. "Should we play another song, Urahara-san?"

"No, let them enjoy the moment."

"Does this means that I should switch coach?" Orihime asked.

"No, Inoue-san. It's okay," Urahara said.

They were on the DJ room, watching Ichigo pulling her to his arms as he deepened the kiss.

* * *

"Anyway, long times no see, Midget," he said after pulling his lips back from hers, and smirked. She chuckled.

"Is that your way to say 'I miss you, Rukia'?" she asked, mirroring his smirk.

"Kind of…" and then he leaned forward again, until—

"ICHIGO! I KNOW YOU TWO ARE DATING!" Isshin shouted.

Ichigo twitched.

"Shut up Dad! You just ruined our romantic moment!" he shouted back, ignoring his father. "And now we can't say that we aren't dating," he mumbled to her.

"Wait, did you just say… romantic moment…?" Rukia asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't think you are a romantic type of person," she smirked.

"I was trying to be romantic, Rukia. Those roses for example."

"Really? I don't think so," she gave him a teasing smile. He encircled his arms around her waist again.

"Oh just shut up, Midget," and he continued leaned forward until his lips met hers, again.

"Oh dear… Rukia, you better tell me the whole story!" It was Hisana.

"Shit," they cursed together. When Ichigo turned around, they saw Isshin, Masaki, Yuzu, Karin, along with Hisana and Byakuya on the entrance to the rink.

"I'll kill you, Urahara," he groaned.

"Kill Urahara-san?" Rukia confused. "Why?"

"Huh? Oh no, it's nothing. Never mind!" he grinned sheepishly.

* * *

"Are you ready?" Ichigo asked.

"Yeah…" Rukia let out a long sigh.

"Relax," he gripped her hands.

"Yeah, I know," she said. He glanced at the clock and said,

"We still have ten minutes before your turn. I wanna ask something by the way. You're from Nagoya, Right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I lived there when I was a child, until I'm about nine years old. I just realized it a few days ago, but I think I saw you once. You were skating. Only once though. And after that day, I tried to find you again…" he explained. "But I failed. Until now…" she smiled softly.

"Wow, I'm touched, Strawberry," she chuckled.

"Feel touched? But I thought I had touched your heart enough to melt you on ice," he grinned.

"What's wrong with you? Trying to be romantic again?" she smirked.

"Just trying to make you relax a bit," he glanced at the clock. "It's about time. Do your best!" they stood up.

"Yeah, thanks!" he kissed her forehead, and then she walked to the rink. She could see her parents on the bleachers. Oh, and Ichigo's family too, and of course Renji and Hinamori. Ah, there were Ishida and Orihime too!

_This is it, my dream,_ she told herself. And when the song started, she began her dance. The Ice Swan had spread her wings, ready to take the shimmering sky.

* * *

A/N : I love roses!

thanks to Mita, my friend because she gave me the inspiration for the roses part when I'm accompanying he to buy her mother's present.

thanks to you all!

I love their first dance and I can't stop imagining that scene.. I just love that! XD

so, how was it? good? bad?

please give me your opinion..

and I'll ask, should I make the sequel or not?

I'm thinking to make a story based on my experience though... because it's just full of drama ahahaha (that's what I mean by my problem anyway)

so please tell me your opinion about this chapter, and tell me if you want me to make a sequel!

I'm waiting! :D

again, thanks all!


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